Flying objects, including birds, have frequently been the cause of malfunction of the power plants of jet aircraft by being drawn into the intake ends of their engines. To prevent such malfunctions and possible accidents resulting therefrom, the use of protective devices for the intake ends of such jet engines has already been proposed. Known devices of this type generally are in the form of curved screens with relatively small meshes formed by intersecting wires. The transverse wire loops of these screens form a rather tight array when projected onto a plane perpendicular to the engine axis, thus presenting an elevated resistance to the in-flight aspiration of air by the engine. Also, the limited relative mobility of the wires and their rather close juxtaposition are conducive to the deposition of the ice particles on the screen surface, thus requiring special measures such as electric heating for de-icing.